


Flirt Like You Mean It

by danke_rose



Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Discussions of intimacy, F/M, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, clueless about the flirting, idiot flirting, kurtty - Freeform, overuse of the word flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25660081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose
Summary: In which Kurt flirts constantly but Kitty is clueless that he's sincere or that he's even flirting with her.  Ororo finally convinces Kitty to pay attention, but she winds up even more confused.
Relationships: Kitty Pryde/Kurt Wagner
Comments: 17
Kudos: 16





	1. He Totally Likes Her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BardofEryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardofEryn/gifts).



> This is a little piece of fluffy humor inspired by a post by BardofEryn. I wrote the story, then abandoned it unfinished (as one does), but found it by accident while looking through my WIPs. So I finished it and edited it a bit, and thought it was fluff worth sharing with you all. I figure it's never a bad idea to share, especially right now when the world is kind of a mess, it seems. This is just a mostly humorous, light-hearted thing. They're a little of out of character for the sake of the story, but I think it still works. 
> 
> Enjoy, and hope it brings a smile.

Over the past week Kitty had spent far too much time on her back under one of Hank McCoy's computer tables, trying to fix the hardware. The machine was used to run samples in Hank's lab, and with it out of order, he couldn't proceed with his experiments. Unfortunately, the machine was temperamental and disinclined to be repaired. Every time Kitty thought she'd found the problem, another cropped up. By the end of the week she was frustrated and tired and ready to throw the stupid machine into a volcano.

“Cheer up, Kitty,” Hank said amiably Friday morning. “If you weren't assisting me here in the lab, you'd be required in the field battling the slug creatures.” He shuddered at the thought. “All that mucus is hell to remove from fur.”

“Poor Kurt,” Kitty muttered as she bent to crawl under the computer table.

“Yes, I'm sure he'll be in quite a terrible state when he returns.” The panel clanked as Kitty pulled it back to start working on the wiring again.

“He'll whine about it,” she said, shoving a stray wire out of her face, “but it's just for attention.”

“Hm. I suppose.” Hank padded heavily across the room and sat down at his workbench. He had plenty of other projects to work on until his machine was functional again. Silence settled comfortably between them as they worked.

Late in the morning, Kitty slid out from under the console and asked Hank to test the machine again. While it started up and looked promising, as soon as he ran the diagnostic sequence, it shorted out again. Kitty growled as she started over again.

Hank bent down to speak to her. “Why don't you take a break, Kitty?”

“Because,” she said through gritted teeth, “I'm sick of this machine and sick of being on my back and I just want to be done!”

“I understand, but I think you'll find this amusing,” Hank said, and Kitty huffed out a loud sigh.

“Ugh, fine,” she huffed, pushing out from under the computer cabinet. She sat upright and burst into peals of laughter.

“Hank said those creatures were slimy—” she began.

“It's mucus, actually,” Hank corrected.

Kitty ignored him. “—but you look like you bathed in it!”

Kurt shrugged. “It's ah...” he looked down at himself, holding his arms aside as slug mucus dripped on the floor. “It's messy. And sticky.” He pressed finger and thumb together, and the substance formed strings between them. “I wondered if you might be willing to help me.”

“Sure.” She smiled, trying to stop laughing at him. Slime was dripping in sticky rivulets from his hair onto his face, and he wiped it away with an equally slimy hand, smearing it across his face instead. He tried to flick it away.

“Not in my lab!” Hank chided, forgetting the puddle already forming under Kurt's feet.

“I'll be back in a little while, Hank,” Kitty said. She glanced at the puddle of slug slime. “Might wanna clean that up, though,” she said, giving him a wink as she went out.

  
  


In Kurt's room, she grabbed towels from his linen closet and stacked them on the counter in the bathroom.

“Hop in the shower and we'll spray off your uniform first,” she said, and he did as he was told.

“Thank you,” he said with a gracious smile. “It's all over me. Everything I touch gets coated in it.”

She could see that. She pulled the showerhead down and began spraying all over, his hair, his uniform, his face. He pulled off his gloves and dropped them in the bottom of the shower, then his boots.

“ _Ach_ , it's down my back,” he said, squirming when he stood up. “Do you mind?”

“No,” she said. As if she would mind if he took off his shirt so she had to look at his sleek body, fur flattened and dark from the water and the slime. “Go ahead.”

He unzipped the uniform to his waist and peeled the sleeves down his arms. Kitty watched as more of his luscious blue fur was revealed with every motion. The zipper caught at his hips and the uniform hung down in the water, slapping against his legs. She sprayed his back and scrubbed out the slime until his fur felt clean. She had to run her hands all over his back to be sure. If he asked her to do his chest, she'd probably go up in flames. As it was, she was letting her mind wander a bit too far.

He turned around and thanked her, hooking the showerhead back up and scratching his hands through his hair a little. Kitty had to focus carefully on his face while he scrubbed at his chest and stomach and asked her about Hank's machine.

“Every time I think it's fixed, the stupid thing shorts out again. It's driving me crazy.” She leaned against the sink, crossing her arms and ankles. Kurt leaned his head out of the spray so he could see her more clearly.

“Why don't you take a break from it? We could go see a movie or have dinner or something.”

“Yeah, maybe. I just really want to get the damn thing finished.” He looked disappointed. “But sure, how about if I can't finish it by Monday, we'll go out.”

Kurt's cheerful grin reappeared. “Agreed. Now, as much as I enjoy your company, I should probably conclude this shower alone.” He flashed her a mischievous grin. “Unless you want to stay...”

“Ha ha,” she said. Of course she wanted to stay, but she wasn't going to tell him that. He was teasing her anyway. “You know I couldn't handle your manly physique. I'll see you later.”

  
  


Kurt shucked off the rest of his uniform and let it sit in the bottom of the shower to finish rinsing. He hadn't expected her to stay, of course, but it had been worth it to see the way the blush colored her cheeks rosier. She was so beautiful, but when she smiled or blushed, it was enough to make his heart skip a beat. He scrubbed his legs and his hair again before shutting off the water and stepping onto the mat.

He'd been flirting seriously with her for weeks now, and she didn't seem to notice. The idea had come to him in the middle of the night, after spending too much time online. If she noticed, and stopped him, maybe he could play it off as his usual charming, roguish self. And if she permitted it, maybe he could work up the nerve to tell her how he really felt about her.

It wasn't a great plan, as plans went, and so far, she didn't seem to have any idea that he was actually intentionally flirting with her. Or, she noticed and wasn't reacting. He ran a hand through his hair, and when it came away clean, he felt a surge or gratitude to her for her help. Maybe he could find a special way to thank her. Something more than the usual movie night.

  
  


Kitty stood in the doorway of Hank's lab before going in, asking herself why she didn't take Kurt up on his offer of a movie or dinner or something. Why was she so hell-bent on working all the time? Why couldn't she just let herself have some fun now and then? Maybe she could still change her mind. It was almost six already, she could justify putting the work off until tomorrow.

“Hank, I'm gonna quit early today,” she said. He was bent over something at his desk and didn't look up when he replied.

“Of course. Have fun with Kurt.”

“What?”

“I assume the two of you are doing something. Was I mistaken? I do apologize.”

“No, you weren't mistaken. It was just...never mind. See you tomorrow.”

Now that the decision had been made, she was eager to find Kurt and tell him. Fortunately he was still in his room. His door was ajar, so she knocked and poked her head in. He was sitting on the edge of his bed staring at something, eyes downcast and shoulders drooping.

“Kurt? You okay?” she said. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

“Fine, Kätzchen. I thought you were with Hank?” He slid the paper onto his bedside table and rose to greet her.

“I changed my mind. Are you still up for a movie?” She wrapped her arms around her waist and strained to see the paper, curiosity getting the better of her. “Or, whatever.”

His smiled broadened. “Absolutely. Dinner? Movie? Both?”

“Whatever. It'll be nice to do something fun for a change. I thought about what you said, about working so much and I figured this would be a good break...are you all right?” She wandered closer to the bed until she could see that it was a photograph, of whom, she wasn't sure yet.

“Hm? Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?”

“I dunno, you had this weird look on your face.”

“I was thinking about our options.”

“Let's do both. If I'm taking the night off, let's live on the edge.” She chuckled.

“Give me five minutes to change and I'll meet you downstairs.”

“Give me _ten_ minutes,” she said as she trotted out of the room.

  
  


She was only interested in going out because it was a break from work. At least she had agreed. Kurt leaned on the wall scrolling through the movie options on his phone while he waited. When she came downstairs, he was grateful for eyes without pupils, allowing him to admire her sweater and dark jeans, clinging slightly to the toned curves of her body. He handed her the phone.

“How about this one?” he said. She read the movie synopsis from his phone, nodding in agreement.

“Sounds good to me.”

He tapped through to the tickets and once that was done, they had an hour and a half for dinner. They settled on a little family owned Italian place that wasn't too busy, and took a cozy corner booth. The up side to eating in Salem Center was that most of the residents were familiar with the school and didn't usually make a fuss over the non-passing mutants. Their waitress listed off the specials and took their orders, never batting an eye.

Kurt's calzone was bigger than his plate. He inspected it for a second and then laughed.

“I don't know if I can eat all of this,” he said. He took a bite, cheese strings stretching from his mouth to the plate while he tried to break them. Kitty reached over with her knife and fork and snapped them for him.

“What would I do without you?” he said, laughing at himself. He cut another piece, careful to sever the cheese this time. Her expression was unreadable. “It's good. Care to try it?”

“Sure.”

She took his fork and ate the piece that was on it. Kurt's mouth went dry and his heart made several large, loud thumps in his chest.

“Tasty,” she declared, handing him the fork as she returned to her own meal. “Wanna try mine?”

He nodded and she handed him her fork. By sheer force of will, he was able to eat it. She seemed completely unaffected by the exchange. He, on the other hand, was convinced she would see right through him now and realize how smitten he was with her.

But she said, “So I heard this movie's supposed to be pretty scary.”

“ _Ja_ ,” he managed after eating a bite and drinking a lot of water. “I heard that, too.”

“But we've seen everything, right, so no big deal. I hope the special effects are good. The last movie I saw, all the scary stuff was obviously CGI.”

She licked her lip to catch the sauce that dripped.

“I suppose we'll find out.”

  
  


They skipped popcorn at the theater, both of them full from dinner. They had pretty good seats, even for a last minute ticket purchase, and Kurt put up the armrest between them.

“In case you get scared,” he said, flashing his fangs as he smiled at her.

“You're hilarious,” she replied. “I've been to Limbo. I've fought the Brood. I was almost eaten by a giant green tentacle monster. A movie won't scare me.”

He sighed softly. “I was kidding, Kätzchen.”

“ _You_ might get scared, though,” she said.

“And if I do, will you protect me?”

“Always,” she declared happily, patting his hand.

  
  


He couldn't quite bring himself to stoop to the fake-yawn arm around the shoulder move, so he settled for sitting shoulder to shoulder with her instead. They both jumped at the startling scenes, and Kitty admitted afterwards that they managed to get her once or twice.

Back home again, she thanked him for the movie and dinner, and went off to her room, blissfully unaware of Kurt's inner turmoil. She had her own to deal with.

She had spent the movie wishing he'd put his arm around her, or hold her hand, but he didn't, and she reminded herself painfully that he simply didn't see her as a potential girlfriend. She was his best friend, an entirely different category of woman to him. She wasn't the type to woo and fawn over and compliment. She didn't have the kind of body that made him want to take her immediately to bed (a fact that both relieved and disappointed her). She simply wasn't his type. 


	2. She Totally Likes Him

The night Kitty finally finished the repairs on Hank's machine, Logan decided they should go out to the bar. Kitty was surprised that Ororo was joining them, though she was aware of the rumors floating around the school about her and Logan. Maybe they were true after all.

The four friends took seats at a table, and Kurt leaned over to her before the waitress came by. “Drinks are on me,” he said. “To celebrate your accomplishment.”

“You don't have to do that, Kurt. I can pay for my own drinks.”

“At least allow me the privilege of buying your first.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but conceded. “Okay, Fuzzy. If you really want to.”

“I do,” he said, resigned. “What would you like?”

“Whatever you're having.”

“Good choice.”

As the evening wore on, Kitty noticed the way Logan followed the movement of one of the women in the bar, and the way she kept glancing back at him, playing with her hair and licking her lips. Maybe Logan and Ororo weren't together after all. Logan wasn't the only one being noticed, either. A tall burly man with a neatly trimmed beard kept smiling at Kitty whenever he passed.

“Gonna give him your number, Half Pint?” Logan asked as he lit up a cigar, leaning back precariously in his chair. Kitty realized it gave him a better view of the woman.

“No,” she said, “I don't give out my number to strange men in bars. Usually.”

“Why not?”

“Ugh, Logan, they only want one thing, and I am not interested right now.”

“That's stupid,” he proclaimed. “I'm always in favor of gettin' laid.”

“That's because you don't have any standards,” Ororo said.

Kitty thought she sensed a little animosity in those words and she watched their interaction with interest.

“Hey, that ain't fair. I have standards.”

Ororo didn't have time to respond.

“ _Ja_ , you do. Preferably someone living, preferably...well, that about covers it, actually.” He ducked to miss Logan's half-hearted punch.

“Least I'm not as picky as some people. When's the last time you had a woman in your bed, Elf?”

“Irrelevant,” he replied.

Logan grunted. “That's cause it's been _months_. And _that's_ cause you're picky.” He puffed on his cigar.

Kurt shrugged and took a sip of his beer. It had been quite a bit longer than months, but Logan didn't need to know that.

“What about you, kid? You picky, too?” Logan let his chair fall to the floor with a loud crack. Ororo leaned away from him.

“It's not being _picky_ to prefer not to sleep with any random man who expresses interest.”

“Our kitten has a point, Logan. Not everyone wishes to share such an intimate experience with a stranger.”

Logan grunted his disagreement.

Kitty added, “I'd rather be with someone I care about and who cares about me. I don't want some quickie with a guy who just wants to get off and leave. I want someone I trust, who'll take care of me and not just himself.”

“I always attend to my partners' needs,” Kurt said quietly.

She jerked her eyes to his and held them for a second while the entire table was silent. Then she burst out laughing and gave him a playful shove. “Is that why women are always after you?”

“ _Ja_ ,” he said glumly. “That must be what it is.” He downed the rest of his beer and ordered another.

Kitty blithely turned to Ororo and said, “I'm glad you and I are on the same page.”

Kitty didn't notice the look that passed between Kurt and Logan when she turned to Ororo.

  
  


By the time they left the bar, Kurt was past tipsy. Fortunately, he was a happy, pleasant drunken Elf, and spent the walk home telling everyone how much he loved them.

At least that's the way Kitty saw it.

“I love you, Kätzchen,” he said, patting her head as Logan held him steady. He looked back at Logan. “I love you, too, Logan. But I really love Kitty.”

“I know, bub.”

Kitty rolled her eyes.

“And,” he continued, listing off random friends, present or not. “I love Ororo. And Bobby. And Piotr. But I really love Kitty.”

“Great,” Logan said, “Then you can get her to take you up to your room. I'm goin' to bed.” He turned Kurt around and left him standing on wobbly legs.

“Logan!” she yelped as she hurried to Kurt's side. He put his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. “Stand up, Kurt, you're too heavy for me to carry.”

“As you wish,” he said, straightening.

“What's gotten into you tonight?” she said, hauling him up the stairs.

“Nothing,” he insisted. “I just love you.”

“I know, I _know_. You love all of us. I get it. We love you, too, okay?” They arrived at his room. “Do you need help getting in the bed?” He shook his head, his blue coloring looking slightly greenish. “Oh, god, you're not gonna puke are you?”

He fell back onto the bed and rolled over. On the nightstand was the photo she'd seen the other day, and she slipped it out from beneath a book to look at it. It was the two of them, taken by Moira before Excalibur ever started. 

“ _Nein_ , _nein_ , I'm fine. I'm not as drunk as you think I am,” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Sure, Kurt. Go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow.”

She waited until he was breathing softly before making her way down the hall to her room. She surprised herself when a few tears trickled down her cheeks. Listening to him go on about how much he loved his friends, including her, had gotten to her.

Lockheed flew up from his bed to greet her. “Hey dragon,” she said. “I'm okay. Just...just a rough night.”

She patted his scaly back while he growled his dragon-purr against her lap.

  
  


Two days later, Kurt asked her to join him in the Danger Room. “I programmed a new pirate scenario and I have to run it through a trial. Will you help me?”

She gave him a wistful look. “I'd love to, but I already promised Rogue I'd debug her computer. Maybe later?”

  
  


“Kitty!” Kurt called another day, as she was heading to the library with a stack of papers. “I was looking for you.”

“You found me,” she said with a smile. “What's up?”

“Can you help me? I was making a cake but something's wrong with it.”

Her level gaze appraised him. “Do you remember who I am? Only the worst cook in history. You should go ask Ororo. Or Scott.”

  
  


“I'm watching Casablanca in the rec room,” Kurt said yet another day, when he met Kitty in the hall. “Care to join me?”

“Sorry, Kurt, I can't. I'm on my way out with Ororo.”

“Next time then,” he said. “Have fun.”

  
  


Kitty and Ororo sipped delicious fruity drinks on the patio of the little restaurant. Ororo looked beautiful as always, and several gentleman smiled or nodded at her when they passed.

“This is nice,” Kitty said. “I needed a break.”

“Work getting to you?”

“Well...yes and no. Work sucks, but right now, honestly, Kurt is driving me crazy.”

“Really? I did not think that could be possible.”

“Neither did I, but lately it's like he can't do anything by himself. He's constantly asking me to help him, even with cooking!”

“Kurt asked you to help him _cook_ something?”

“Yeah, can you believe it? A cake or something.”

“He wants to spend time with you, Kitten. You're very important to him,” Ororo said as the waiter brought their meals. “My, that looks delicious,” she remarked, eyeing Kitty's meal.

“You can have some if you want,” Kitty said.

“That's okay. But tell me if it's good, and I'll order it next time.”

“Okay. But I don't mind.”

Ororo shook her head. “I feel like sharing food is a couples kind of thing. Don't you?”

Kitty thought about it. “I don't know. Kurt and I share food. I never thought about it.”

Ororo put her fork down and stared at Kitty until she looked up. “He cares very much for you.”

“Of course he does, he's one of my best friends.” She ate her food, wondering what Ororo was going on about. Of course Kurt cared about her, that wasn't news. He'd always taken care of her and protected her, and now that she didn't need that anymore, he liked hanging out with her. They liked the same kinds of movies and books, and enjoyed fencing and pirate scenarios in the Danger Room.

“No, I mean he truly cares for you. I believe he would like to date you.”

“What?” she replied incredulously. “No way. I am so not his type.”

“Kitty, do you hear yourself? You just told me he pesters you to do things with him all the time, even cook. Kurt is not stupid. He knows you hate cooking. He shared food with you? It's obvious.”

Kitty shook her head, denying Ororo's words. “No it isn't. If he liked me that way, he'd say so, or flirt or something. The man is not subtle.”

“He _is_ flirting, Kitten.”

Kitty remained adamant. “No way. If Kurt wanted to hit on me, he'd...kiss me or something.”

“Didn't you tell him to cease that behavior?”

Kitty chewed slowly. “Well. Yeah.”

“He respects you. He will not kiss you.” Ororo picked up her fork again. “I'm certain, though, that he likes you. Pay attention and you will see.”

  
  


Kitty still didn't believe Ororo, no matter how she insisted. There was simply no way Kurt was interested in her as anything but a friend. He was being overly annoying for some _other_ reason. She just didn't know what it was yet. She promised Ororo she'd pay closer attention to his behavior, so she would. But she didn't believe for a moment that he was flirting.

  
  


Kurt had done everything he could think of, and gotten absolutely no reaction from Kitty. The only conclusion he could come to was that she honestly didn't feel anything for him but friendship. And he could tell she was getting irritated with him. It was time to back off for a while before he caused a fight. Giving up hurt, but it was the right thing to do. It was time to let her go.

When Kitty returned from dinner with Ororo, Kurt was watching an old black and white movie in the rec room, alone. That wasn't surprising, as most of the team didn't enjoy his affinity for the old movies. She stood in the doorway long enough to figure out that it was an Alfred Hitchcock mystery.

“Which one is it?” she said, and he tilted his head to see her.

“ _Hallo_ , Kitty,” he said. “It's _The Birds_. Did you have fun with Ororo?”

“Yeah. It was nice.” She waited for him to ask her to join him, but he didn't. “You're watching all by yourself tonight, huh?”

“ _Ja_ , the others didn't care to watch.” He kept his eyes on the screen. He was obviously more interested in the movie than her. Ororo was so wrong.

“Okay. Well. Enjoy your movie.”

Kurt clenched his fists in his effort not to call her back and beg her to sit with him. But he couldn't. He had to stop. She would join him if she wanted to. He paused the movie and went into the kitchen to make a bowl of popcorn, grabbing a beer from the fridge while it popped. He was surprised to see Kitty had changed and come back.

He sat down beside her, not too close, and put the popcorn between them.

“Can I have some?” she said.

“Of course.”

An awkward silence settled between them, and Kitty blamed it on her scattered thoughts and Kurt's indifference to her. Ororo was completely and totally wrong about him. Here was the proof. He never glanced her way, didn't offer to share his popcorn, didn't even ask her to join him to watch the movie. He didn't care if she was there or not. Ororo had gotten Kitty's hopes up for nothing.

  
  


The next time she saw Ororo, she told her so.

“What do you mean?” Ororo said, shaking her head. “Kitty, I have seen him with you. He's practically blind to everyone else when you're around.”

“No he isn't, Ororo. He never once took his eyes off the movie he was watching.”

“There has to be a reason.”

“There is. He doesn't like me that way.”

“I'm certain he does. Perhaps you could try flirting with him? By the end of the week, you'll be a couple.”

“You want _me_ to flirt with Kurt? The _master_ of flirting? Please, I can't compete with that.”

“It is not a competition, it's about letting him see that you are interested. Unless you are not. Are you?”

Kitty flushed. “Yes, I'm interested.” She put her head in her hands. “God, Ororo, I like him so, so much. What if he really _doesn't_ like me and I do this and it ruins everything? He's my best friend. I can't lose him, not over this.”

Ororo put her hand on Kitty's shoulder. “You will not lose him. Kurt is loyal to a fault, remember? Consider Amanda. And Cerise. He would never abandon you for telling him you have feelings for him.”

Kitty chewed her lip until she bit down too hard. “Ouch. Well, I'm still not going to tell him. But maybe I'll flirt a little, just to prove you wrong.”

“Kitten, do what you will. I only hate to see you so unhappy.”

“I know. Thanks Ororo.”


	3. The Inevitable Happy Ending

Kitty had never been particularly good at flirting, nor was she clever about it. She remembered holding mistletoe over Piotr's head one Christmas and calling him “sexy.” No, subtle she was definitely not. She decided to research this first. After scouring the internet for an hour, she considered adding some personal advice into the general mix.

She found Betsy in her room that evening. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Absolutely, Kitty,” Betsy said, inviting her in. “What can I help you with?”

“How do you flirt?”

Betsy considered the question seriously, settling herself against the arm of her plush couch. “In general, or are you looking for specific techniques?”

“Both,” Kitty replied. The more information, the better. She sat down beside Betsy with her notepad and waited.

After a moment of thought, Betsy smiled. “Touch is very important. Touch him, a lot. Especially on his leg or his chest or his face. Stand close, just inside his personal space, and meet his eyes.” She continued, a dreamy look on her face. “Who are you planning to flirt with?”

“Right now I'm just doing research. Thanks,” Kitty said, skirting the question. Betsy would never keep that a secret.

Alison was next. “Ask about all the stuff he likes. Compliment him. And, oh, play with your hair.”

She even asked Ororo. “I ask him to dance.” She patted Kitty's shoulder. “Does this mean you are going to make an effort?”

“Looks like it.”

  
  


Kurt was in the kitchen heating up a frozen meal the next time she saw him. Suddenly all the flirting advice seemed overwhelming. She had no idea what to do. She ended up flustered, stammering out some excuse to leave, and hurrying out. Every time she saw him, the same thing happened. She couldn't think straight, made some excuse to leave, and felt guilty about it afterwards.

“This is a disaster, Ororo,” she confided later. “I can't even look at him now. He probably thinks I hate him.”

“I doubt it. But you're definitely not giving off 'I like you' vibes.”

“I suck at flirting.”

“No, you need to practice.”

“I'm not going to practice flirting. With my luck, Kurt would see me and think I liked _that_ guy.” Kitty threw her head back on Ororo's sofa and groaned in frustration.

“Kitty, why don't you try talking to him? Kurt's reasonable. He would never hate you or push you away. But if you are avoiding him as you say, then his feelings are probably hurt.”

Ororo was right, at least about his feelings. Kitty sighed. She'd backed herself into a corner now. “You're right. I'll talk to him.”

  
  


Kitty thought about all the things she could say to him, reasons for her odd behavior over the past week, and nothing but the truth seemed to provide an acceptable explanation. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and patted Lockheed for luck.

He knocked on her door as she was about to open it. A rush of adrenaline made her limbs feel numb, and she took a deep breath before opening the door. His face was all hurt and confusion, and she flushed scarlet with guilt.

“Hey, Kurt,” she said, voice cracking slightly. “I was on my way to find you.”

“Were you?” he said. His voice sounded flat, not his usual cheerful tone. “That would be a first for this week. Can I come in?”

“Yeah. Of course. I—I was going to talk to you about that.” He stepped inside the door and she shut it, leaning against it for support. He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He kept his back to her, and she felt a rift between them that scared her. She would do anything to repair it. His friendship was too important to lose.

“I see,” he said. “That's why I'm here as well. I think we need to clear the air.”

“Yeah. We do.”

“You've been avoiding me. Did I do something to upset you?”

Her shoulders slumped. If she'd been thinking about _him_ during all of this, about his feelings, she would have skipped the stupid flirting and gone to him right away.

“No, Kurt,” she said gently. “You haven't done anything. It's me. I've been acting stupid.”

“I wouldn't say stupid. You are rarely that. But it has certainly been odd.”

“No, it's stupid. Trust me. You wanna sit down?” She gestured to the bed, where he'd sat hundreds of times. Today he was standing in the middle of her room like he didn't belong.

He shook his head. “No thanks.”

Guilt flooded her. She'd been so unfair to him. She should have given up the first time she tried and failed, the first time she walked away from him without an explanation.

Falteringly, she began. “I had a conversation with Ororo, and she told me something I didn't believe.”

“Ororo told you a lie?”

“Well, not...I mean, I didn't think it was a lie intentionally, but I didn't believe her. I told her you'd been bugging me lately, and she said it was—”

“So I _did_ do something.”

“No. Well, yes, but that's not—just let me explain.” Would he forgive her? Would he push her away? Or did he really have feelings for her, as Ororo had said?

“Anyway, when I told her that, she was surprised, because it's _us_ , and we've always been such good friends. Kurt, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, honest.” She wanted to hug him, touch his arm, anything to show him how sorry she was. His stoic stance kept her at bay. She'd rarely seen him like that, not with her, anyway.

“Thank you for saying so.”

Oh, this was bad. Worse than she had thought. She blurted, “Ororo said you were flirting with me and I didn't believe her.”

He lifted his eyes to hers, one brow rising slowly, wrinkling the fuzzy skin on his forehead. She could see it only because of where he stood, with the glow of her lamp lighting up his features.

“Why not?” His hands, folded across his chest, relaxed a little, and she dared take one step closer.

“I told her there was no way you'd do that, because you don't think of me that way. She said if I paid attention, I'd see for myself. But she was wrong. I know you don't feel that way.”

“Interesting. Is that why have you been avoiding me?”

“No, actually. That's the stupid part,” she said, her cheeks so hot she was sure they would burn her. She put a hand over her eyes, then forced it away. “She was so convinced, and I was so confused. I was going to flirt with you instead, just to humor her, and see what happened. But I got so flustered every time I saw you, I couldn't do it. I'm sorry, I told you it was stupid. I should have just told you the truth from the start and we could have been laughing over it by now.”

“You were trying to flirt...with me?”

“Yeah, I suck at it.”

He ran both hands through his hair and paced.

“Please don't be angry with me. Kurt?”

“Kätzchen, why would I be angry?” he held his arms out and she launched herself across the space between them, so grateful that he wasn't pushing her away. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“No kidding. I'm the _worst_.”

He chuckled softly, a low rumble she could feel under her cheek. “I _was_ flirting with you.”

She lifted her face to look at him in utter disbelief. “What? Are you serious?”

He nodded. “I was afraid to come right out and tell you, in case it didn't go over too well.”

“You thought I'd stop being your friend?”

He looked guilty as he nodded. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay. I thought the same thing.”

He laughed suddenly and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Kitty.”

She gave him a tight squeeze. “I love you, too.” A memory struck her and she let go of him. “Oh my god, I'm such an idiot. You _told_ me you loved me, and I didn't take you seriously.”

Kurt laughed too. “Not my finest hour, I admit.”

“Or mine.” She pressed her forehead against his chest. “I'm so sorry.”

“The fault lies with both of us. But perhaps we can move on now, to more important things?” He hooked his hands at the small of her back so she could tilt her head up and see the smirk playing about his lips. “Would you go out with me?”

She grinned until her cheeks hurt. “Yes.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes.”

“When should I pick you up?”

“How about right now?”


End file.
